Indexing and filing device



Nov. 16 1926. 1,607,126

W. N. HOWARD INDEXING AND FILING DEVICE Original Filed y 9. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l F J. no 7 CNICKS IN DFYAIL DSPOIITS mm mm Imnw CNZCM IN DETAIL mm: um roman OLD BN-INCE CHIQKS IN DETAIL MPOSIYS bluwc: Molnar m INVENTOR. N. N. HOWARD A TTORNE Y.

INDEXING AND FILING DEVICE Original Filed May 29. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Cutcks IN DETAIL OBPOSIIS IMAM: allouqu'r mama ,9-

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Patent d Nov. 1c, 192

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WILLIAM rmrrownrmjor Los m mes oALIFoitriIn.

INDEXSVNG Ann FILING DE ICE.

Original application filed May 29, 1924,

This invention. relates to indexing and filing devices. This application is a division of my prior application Serial No. 716,555. filed May 29, 192A.

, The general object of the invention 15 to provide an improved indexing and filing device which will enable cards bearing various information to be quickiy filed or re moved from a'file.

' One of the specific objects of the invention' is toprovide-a combined index and file wherein individual sheets are grouped ac.- cording to a definite surname arrangement and wherein the sheets in each group are again grouped under an alphabetical arrangement of given names. 7 j

Another'object of the invention is: to provide an index wherein the proper index reference to two or more spaced columns may ,beInotedin a single table arranged between an index card; I

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the individual cards which are listed and assembled under a subgroup or set heading, and Fig. 4 is a similar view of a card from another one ofthe sets of the same group 7 as thecards of Fig.3.

Referring to the" drawing by reference characters, I haveshown a card embodying the features of my invention at 10. This card may be provided with blanks appropriately designated for receiving data such as'a sheet number at 11; a name which includes a surname and given name at 12, andan address 14:. Columnar headings 15 may be provided which i include .old balance, date, che cks in detail, date, deposit, date and new balance. These headings may be used when my invention is used by banks although the headings and divisions are merely indicative of one of the many uses to which my invention can be put.

A complete index, according to my invengroup as typical of many groups.

'ment. Fig. 2' is a view similar to Flg. 1 showing Serial No. '7-1e,555.- Divided in this application filed May 12, 1926. Serial No. 108,538. .7 I

tion, includes a set of index sheetsrlfi 2) as well as a plurality of groups of cards in each-group'are' disposed in register one on top of another, the overlappingedges of the cards carrying the signalsbeingshown at 17.

'10, such asshownin Fig. 1 where the cardsv Each group 'of cards comprises a plurality of setsof cards. Each group includes cards having surnames thereon which' have certain common characteristics including the initial letter, while each sub-group or set includes cards bearing given names having certain common characteristics. This surname grouping may be according to any approved 7 system either alphabetic, or based on consonants, on vowels, etc.

As shown, the grouping is based on jconsonants, each of which .is gi vena definite .numerical value In the lllustration the." names, Brehm, Brown, Barron, etc., all have a numerical value equalling 650, and I have shown" individual cardsselected from, this As stated all' the name-cards would be I divided into groups 'with. the surname in each group having certain common charac- In the following description I teristics. V will describe butone group of the entire index but it Will beunderstood that the other groups would be similar in arrange- In the drawing in vFig. 1 I illustrate av plurality of groups of cards wherein the cards are of the groups having the surname numerical values of1650, 651, and 652 respectively;

,The cards shown in Fig. ,1 are provided with signals 19thereoir- In every group'the. signals displayed preferably run consecutively 1,, 2,3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, O, withthe arrangement repeated-so that in each group 20 signals are visible. V

In completing the 650A vcard shown in Fig. '1 the operator would preferablyfirst fill in the surname Brehm and would then insert the given name Alexander. The numas the, designationiQO, which would correspond to some characteristic of the given :namexIn the present instance, I have shown the designating mark 20 as the letter A which corresponds to the initial in the her 650 would be noted on the card as; well I till 25, 26, and 2?.

19 at the left would receive the names which include given names beginning with A. The cards bearing the signal 2 would receive the names whose given names'begin with The'cards bearing the signal 3 would receive the C names, etc., down to the ninth card whereon I would preferably combine the initials -l and J. l would occupy the next card bearing a zero signal 19 with N, O, disposed on the right third card, P, Q, on the fourth right card, and so on in regular order with U, V, on the eighth right card, W, on the ninth card and X,'Y, Z, on the zero rightcard. l romithe foregoing description it will be seen that alter the names have been segregated into the groups according to some commoncharacteristic of the surname, these names will again be classified in sets with the given names showing a common charac- 'teristlc such as an initial 111 sets to themselves.

In filing these cards the first care which would be placed in each set would be marked Acct. h opl, as at 21. The second card oit-the set which would appear immediately behind the first'card would be marked Acct. No. 2. This is shown in the drawing where the first card in the first set oi"- the 650 group'that is, the set bearing the signal 1 is shown in 'l ig; 1 and the second card in this setis shown in Fig. l. in Fig. 3 l have shown five cards disposed one above the other. of those cards has the surname with such names or" the cards iirFig. 3 all begin with 'E and consequently these cards have the E classification as at 22. These cards are also provided with the signal 5 as shown.

ihe first card which is placed in the file would be marked Acct. No. 1, as at 23, the second card Acct. No. 2, as at 24, and in order the accounts would be numbered as The account number thererore may indlcate the relative order in which the cards in each set were filed.

In order to readily find whether or not certain names are shown in this index and it so to determine their location and to facilitate their selection I show in Fig. 2 the 650 index card which may be considered a com- I ponent part of my invention. One o1 the with columns each having a double heading. The lower heading 36 comprises the num It will be noted herethat each an I v 1,607,126

Brehm would throw this card into the A To dlStlIlgLllSll set-that is, into the 1 set. this a numeral 1 would beplaoed at 40 111 the ii 'iperlialf or the horizontal column in which the name Alexander Brehm was placed. lhe next name to be entered might be that of J. Brown, and would be entered in the first space of the right-hand column The initial heading J in this case would throw Browns card into the left-hand nine set and to indicatethis a l wouldbe inserted in the lower hall? or the horizontal column wherein the name J. J. Brown appears as at 41. This'method or entry would be continued in regular order with a 1 1 being" inserted to indicate the set of the cards in which we might look for a particular card. When a card appears which would be the "second card'in a set, for in stance as at 43 where at the right-hand side I of Fig. 2 the name John M. Brown appears, then instead of entering a 1 1n the column -we-would enter a '2 as at 4am indicate that John M. B'rowns card is the second Referring tothe fifth incard in the set. itia'l column at the left, as shown at 45, in

Fig. 2, it will be noted that five numbers appear in this column indicating that there are live cards in the set. Should other names be entered in this column the next would be Acct. 'llo. 6 and wouldbe placed sixth in the E or fifth group and so on.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that the names at the leftare indexed in the table at the upper half as at 40 of each transverse column, while the right-hand names are indexed in the lower halfofeac'h horizontal column.

My invention is of great aid in taking ofi balances and in figuring accountsas the operator can very easily determine the number or accounts present by adding the numbers appearing opposite the names at the right and left-hand sides. g V

The device is very useful in searching; for instance, it we were looking tor. a name having the 650 value, wherein the initial of the given name began with a,D it would be only necessary to look column 46 of the proper index card, and it we noted that this column was blank it would atonce indicate that there were no 650 group. names,

wherein the given name initial beganwith a D. Should any names be dropped from the list, a circle would be drawn around the number in the index 'desi 'n'atin the name so that the unused name could be very easily detected.

When a group of cards is used wherein the names in the group do not include cer tain initials in the various given names the" operator could detect this omission noting which numbers were missing fromthe group shown in Fig. 1. For instance, in reading the signals from the left should he detect that the numeral l or signal 4, which ordinarily "should appear at 50, was missing he would value is 650, another 651, and a third 652, although it will be understood that other groupings can be madeif desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a filing and indexing device, a plurality of cards each having a surname and a given name thereon and bearing a number,

said. cards each having a signal displayed I thereon, the signal on each card representing the initial letter in the given name on the card, said cards being arranged in a 1plu rality of groups, with the cards in each group having surnames thereon which have a common characteristic;

2. In'a filing and indexing device, a plucards'each having a signal displayed thereon, the signal on each card representing the letter constituting the initial'in the given name on the card, said cardsbeing arranged 1 in a plurahty of groups, with the cards of each group bearing surnames of the same character and with the cards of each group arranged in sets corresponding to the'initial V of the given name, the cards in each set be ing arranged in-the order in which the cards were placed in the file and having'means thereon for designating this order.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

WILLIAM N. HOWARD.

'rality of cards bearing names thereon, said 

